How to Water Quality at Home
Check out these other resources and programs to learn more. Our storm drains lead straight to our waterways - NOT the sewer plant. This water is untreated and discharged into our waterways, often carrying pollution with it. There are lots of ways to prevent stormwater pollution at home.
Here are a few ways you can prevent stormwater pollution at home by capturing volume and pollution.
- Use rain barrels
- Use rain gardens
- Plant native plants
- Pick up dog waste
- Adopt a storm drain! Remove leaves, litter, and debris from storm drains
- Properly dispose of old medicines, chemicals and household hazardous waste (batteries, anti-freeze, spray paint, etc.)
Check out these other programs to learn more.
- PUP Campaign (Pick Up Poop): A local pledge program, “PUP” stands for Pick Up Poop. All dog owners can "doo" the right thing and scoop poop when walking and in your own backyard. The goal is cleaner water, healthier communities, and PUPing is the law. PUP before it rains to keep bacteria and E. coli out of our waterways. Take the pledge for a free dog waste bag attachment for your leash!
- Blueprint Columbus: City of Columbus neighborhood capital improvement projects focus on relining sewer pipes and installing new green infrastructure to slow the volume of stormwater during large rain events, a major cause of combined sewer overflows. Free sump pumps are available for eligible residents in Blueprint neighborhoods!
- EPA's Source Water Protection: How can you help protect source water? Check out these tips from US EPA on what individuals and communitities can do to protect our waterways.